Asus Eee PC 1215B review – High performance portable with a classic design
Asus is one of the producers that creates a lot of options for portables whether we are talking about netbooks or laptops. In the last period in the Eee PC brand Acer has stopped exclusively producing netbooks and also included models that would be better called small laptops. One of the most recent examples is the 1215B model.
From the start I was happy to have the occasion to evaluate this new model, since it is the successor of the well known 1215N model. Asus promised major improvements when it comes to performance and pricing so I was eager to see what the new 1215B can do. Before more details let us first have a general look at the model.
Technical specs:
- LED-backlit 12.1” display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels
- dual core AMD E-350 1.66 GHz processor and integrated AMD graphics card on the Brazos platform
- 4 GB of DDR3 RAM memory
- 320 GB hard disk
- Connectivity: Wireless N, Gigabit LAN, Bluetooth 3.0, a USB 2.0 slot and 2 USB 3.0 slots, HDMI, VGA, card-reader, web camera, headset and microphone jacks
- 6 cell 5200 mAh battery
- Windows 7 Home Premium operating system
- Weight: 1.45 kg
Design and build characteristics
The reference to the 1215N was not without reason, since this model is practically identical to the 1215N in its design. It has the same shell form and the exterior is all made out of plastic. The plastic is not shiny, pleasant at touch, and pretty much scratch resistant. However, on the black model fingerprints will still remain visible. The good thing is you will be able to choose from several colors such as silver and red.
Silver, Red and Black cases to choose from for ASUS 1215B
The same high quality material is used for the palm rest, but the edge of the screen is covered with the same shiny plastic that is now used on almost all Asus models.
On the back side the laptop has a textured surface and there is access to the 2 RAM memory slots.
The best thing I can do is to let you decide if the design is good by watching the following video:
You can see how ports are positioned in the images below. It is worth mentioning that only 2 out of the 3 ports are USB 3.0 while the USB port that stands alone has remained a 2.0 USB.
Keyboard and trackpad
The full size keyboard of the Eee PC 1215B is of good enough quality to be used daily, even if you need to type in long texts in text editor software. This conclusion came after seeing that the keys are large enough. Things are not perfect here as well: we have noticed an unpleasant flexibility of the central part of the keyboard and sometimes even of the right side. In addition to this the keys are not made of a very high quality material.
In its turn the trackpad is extremely easy to use since the surface is clean and has extremely good accuracy. For selection there is only one key but this did not represent a problem for right and left clicking. This model is used by many producers so I got used to it.
The screen
The display of the Eee PC 1215B is a LED-backlit 12.1” 1366×768 pixels resolution screen. Unfortunately, as I have just said the edges of the display are made out of shiny plastic that attracts dust and fingerprints.
From the point of view of its brightness and color palette things look great. There is a small negative point when it comes to the viewing angles. The screen rotates 130 degrees, which is more than enough for daily use, except if you like using the laptop in bed.
Hardware and performances
Asus chose the Brazos hardware platform developed by AMD. It is made out of the AMD dual core E-350 1.66 GHz processor and the integrated AMD graphics card to which 4 GB of DDR3 RAM memory are added. It is a very competitive hardware package for this market segment, and the only thing that you could consider a minus is the slow 320 GB hard disk that only has 520 RPM. The good thing is that you can choose a better configuration if you want to: a 7200 RPM hard disk or even an SSD if you are willing to quit some of the storage space.
Classic look but improved performance for the netbook class
The hardware configuration proved its power immediately in daily use. If at office apps I was expecting everything to go good I was pleasantly surprised to see that games play well and so do HD video materials at 1080p. In addition to this if you prefer the more generous display of a TV you can use the HDMI port.
The clips below will give you more info about the performances of the Asus 1215B model:
Last but not least the score obtained in Windows Experience Index
Software
A big plus for choosing the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, but the classical useless apps preinstalled by the producer remain a problem. This is why you will need to uninstall all this applications after you buy the laptop in order to make the laptop as clean as possible.
Connectivity and ports
Connectivity is present at a high level, which is normal for a laptop. The only notable absence is f the 3G hardware, but the wireless port will prove worthy along with the Gigabit LAN.
From the point of view of ports the Asus gets a plus for the 2 USB 3.0 ports even if the 3rd one is of the 2nd generation. Movies can be viewed on a generous TV display with the help of the HDMI port, but you will also find a VGA port and audio and microphone jacks.
The ports layout for ASUS 1215B
Heat, noise, speakers and others
Asus 1215B handles heat well since even after using it for a long time (viewing a HD movie) there was no significant rise of temperature at the level of the keyboard. The same can be said about noise. The laptop is not noisy. This is a great plus for those who prefer a silent atmosphere.
As with most Asus models, this portable offers surprisingly good sound quality, more than reasonable for this market segment. Last but not least the web camera positioned over the display ensures you can video chat with friends, but does not offer any special characteristics.
Battery life
Judging by the technical platform offered by AMD I must recognize I was not expecting very good battery autonomy values. However things turned out well since the battery life was of 5 hours of normal use (internet surfing and the wireless port on, listening to music and viewing movies). For a netbook of its class the values are more than reasonable for a 6 cell 5200 mAh battery.
Availability and price
According to an Asus press release from the beginning of April the 1215B model is already available in IT stores at a price of 650 dollars. I believe it is worth considering buying this laptop.
- List Price:
$449.99 - Current Price:
- [Details or Buy from Amazon]
[Amazon User Reviews]
Conclusions
Even if when I heard it is an AMD based laptop I did not expect anything special the 1215B did well at the performance chapter. For its class it really is a great laptop worth putting on the buy list. Other factors will also be considered when deciding whether to buy the 1215B or not. One of the minuses is the shiny plastic used on the edges of the screen, case and keyboard that attracts dust.
However considering the success of the 1215N I expect the 1215B to be liked by users since its design is identical to its predecessor.
What we liked
- solid build and high quality materials for the case
- good performance of the hardware platform
- good autonomy
- high quality speakers
- no noise even in intensive use
- 2 USB 3.0 ports
- good price
What we did not like
- the shiny plastic used around the screen
Source: netbooklive
Ionut is Chief Editor. He has a degree in Computer Science BA and worked in IT since 2002. Ionut is now managing several tech sites, including GadgetRoad. Find me on Twitter
